The 1961 comedy “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch” will receive an upcoming Broadway staging starring Leslie Odom Jr. This will mark the first revival of the comedy by Ossie Davis. It will be Odom’s first Broadway role since his Tony Award-winning turn as Aaron Burr in “Hamilton.”
Kenny Leon will direct the production, which will open in the late summer. Dates, theater and additional casting will be announced at a later date.
Odom is also a producer on the mounting, marking his Broadway producing debut. Since departing “Hamilton” in 2016, Odom has starred in films such as “Murder on the Orient Express,” “Harriet,” “One Night in Miami” and “Glass Onion.” He earned two Oscar nods for “One Night in Miami”: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Sam Cooke and for Best Original Song. He has voiced the character of Owen Tillerman on the AppleTV+ musical series “Central Park” since its premiere, which earned him an Emmy nomination.
In 2022, having already won a Grammy for “Hamilton,” Odom earned two Grammy nominations: Best Song Written for Visual Media for the song “Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami” and Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media for “One Night in Miami.”
“Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch” is a satire set in the Old South, with the title-character, a preacher, hoping to run an integrated church and facing a bigoted plantation owner. The play is the basis for the 1970 musical “Purlie.”
The play will feature scenic design by Tony winner Derek McLane, costume design by Tony nominee Emilio Sosa and lighting design by Adam Honoré. Additional creative team members will be announced.
In addition to Odom, “Purlie Victorious” is being produced on Broadway by Jeffrey Richards, Hunter Arnold, Irene Gandy, Jacob Soroken Porter and Kayla Greenspan.
